Epidendrum brevivenium Lindl. 1853 GROUP Brevivenium

Photo by Ron Parsons

EARLY

Common Name The Short Veined Epidendrum [refers to the veins of the sepals and petals reaching only part way to the apex]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in northern Ecuador in upper montane forests at elevations around 2800 to 3400 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte or terrestrial on rock cliffs or walls with scandent, much branched stems carrying 5 to 7, narrowly elliptic, obtuse to rounded leaves that blooms in the fall through early winter on a terminal, on mature stems, spicate, 2.4" [6 cm] long including the 1.2" [3 cm] long peduncle, densely several flowered inflorescence enveloped basally by expanding, imbricate bracts.

"E. brevivenium Lindl. is part of GROUP Breviveniumcharacterized by the repent rhizomes with erect, thin, few-leaved stems, and a pair of conduplicate tubular spathaceous bracts at the apex; the inflorescence is erect, with prominent floral bracts; the lip appears 7-lobed. The species has larger plants with fewer, thinner leaves, and has two clearly distinct spathe-like bracts at the base of the inflorescence. The species has similar habit to and its closest relative is, Epidendrum guanacasense but can be easily recognized at first glance by its somewhat creeping growth mode with the thick, erect stems covered by small, ovate, coriaceous leaves, and the erect, racemose, compact inflorescence without spathe, with 2 to 5 bracts surrounding the basal portion of the peduncle. Epidendrum guanacasense is comparatively a much more compact plant than E brevivenium." Adapted from E guanacasense Icones 2 Plate 140 Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms Epidendrum mosquerae F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899; Epidendrum rhacoglossum Schltr. 1921

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 84 Schlechter 1921 as E rhacoglossum; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren-Atlas 57: 362 Schlechter 1929 as E rhacoglossum drawing fide; Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 464 Dodson 1989 recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 140 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 422 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1236 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section;

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